The Flame That Burns Brightest
by Wheelingmist
Summary: A hyperspace jump gone wrong hurtles the Millennium Falcon down onto a strange planet. Fleeing from the Empire after the devastating defeat on Hoth, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO must come to grips with this new world and its mysterious inhabitants. Yet, are they the only visitors from beyond? Has the anomaly that led them to Middle-Earth led others to Arda as well?
1. The Fall of the Falcon

**The Fall of the Falcon**

The lush, rolling hills of Eriador had witnessed many strange things over the years. Nothing was new. The lands of the North had shouldered the fallout of the destruction of Númenor. They had seen the rise of Arnor, its battle with the hordes of the Witch-King and its eventual disintegration. Time never stood still for them. Nothing was new. The lives of men, dwarves and hobbits were like gusts of wind through the trees. They came and went. Even the immortal elves were not immune. Journeys to the Havens were constant, and death in battle was always a possibility. Nothing was new.

Yet on a bright, cold day in late winter, the hills looked up at the sun to see a huge mass of metal hurtling down from the sky. This was new and unexpected, for this was no common meteor or chunk of rock. Many of those had come crashing down through the years. This one was different. Something...came with it. A tremor in the wind. A whisper in the air. Was it a warning?

* * *

"That was one heck of a landing. I'm surprised we made it although it could have been a lot worse."

Han Solo leaned back in his chair with a sigh of relief. Emergency-landing the _Millennium Falcon_ was not exactly easy. It put unnecessary strain on the ship. Something Han did not want to do.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" asked the women sitting in the co-pilot chair.

"No one's stopping you, Princess."

Han Solo got out of his chair and moved out of the cockpit. "Chewie, how are we doing? How's the engines?"

He heard a loud growl from the engine room. Chewbacca walked out rubbing his side. "Hey, that was a great landing," replied Han. "What are you talking about? It was a little shaky but, overall, one of my better ones considering the circumstances."

"Oh, what a horrible landing!"

Han Solo looked to his right and saw crates sprawled across the floor. A shiny yellow leg protruded quite distinctly out from under the mess.

"Oh, what a horrible landing. I'm afraid my circuitry is fried. I can't move, I can't hear. Is anyone there?"

"Chewie, clean up that mess and help Threepio a bit. I'll look at the engines and...how are the engines? Oh, great."

Han went into the engine room shaking his head. A minute later he yelled back, "Man! This might take a while to fix. What is this...Ouch!"

Princess Leia walked up and started to help Chewbacca with rearranging the various boxes that had tumbled over. Chewbacca helped C-3PO sit up. The droid's right leg was rather crushed, and the wookie could see it would be in need of repairs.

"Oh, hello Chewbacca," said the droid. "It is so good to see a familiar face. Oh, Princess Leia. What? What are you saying? I can't hear you."

"Can't you hear me Threepio?" asked Leia. "Oh no. Chewie sit him over there. His leg looks pretty bad. We will have to work on him soon."

She held out here pointer finger in a gesture of patience to the droid who nodded. "Yes Princess Leia. Do whatever you have to do. I'll be here when you need me."

Leia turned towards Chewbacca when Han yelled out, "I found it! This is the….Oh, never mind. That goes here…"

"Han, where are we?" asked Leia.

Han Solo came out of the engine room wiping his hands on a towel. "I've no idea. I suppose we had better look at the maps. And the hyperspace route. Chewie, see what you can do with the engines."

Han walked back towards the cockpit with Leia in tow. "Were we knocked out of hyperspace or something?" she asked. "Because we came out before Bespin. That jump was too quick."

"I know. Something's not right," said Han as he slide into his chair. "Let's see. Hyperspace coordinates...Here it is. Ummm. Nothing unusual. We made the jump. Correct destination. Did our hyperdrive give out? Chewie, check the hyperdrive! See if it works."

There was a rumble in response as Han stood up and left the cockpit.

"Where are you going?" asked Princess Leia.

"I'm going to see what this planet is. We don't even know what it looks like. There are only two planets remotely near to our hyperspace route. One is gas and the other is a barren rock." He put on his gun belt and headed to the entrance ramp. "This planet is not on the maps."

The ramp lowered and Han Solo and Princess Leia walked down. A chilly wind welcomed them, and Leia shivered. The trees on the sides of the many hills in the area had no leaves and swayed and creaked in the wind. Han shaded his eyes against the light of the sun and looked around. Hills all around. A mountain in the distance. Everything was bleak and brown. Nothing of much use. However, after a few minutes, Han could just make out a path between the branches of the trees to his right. It was barely visible and if it had been spring the leaves would have blocked his sight.

"Well, nothing to go on so far except for a road way down there." Han pointed in the direction of the path.

Leia straightened and looked in the direction of Han's finger. "That must mean there is some kind of civilization here," she remarked.

Han itched his nose. "Yeah. But I wonder whether they are friends or enemies of the Empire. Or if they are actually civilized at all."

He stood there thinking for a minute and then headed back towards the Falcon. "Let's just hope the _Millennium Falcon_ didn't take too much of a hit during that landing. I wouldn't want to be stuck on an unknown planet."

Unfortunately, the _Millennium Falcon_ had been hit hard, and Han knew it. The outside looked horrible and, while the inside did look somewhat normal, Han knew that everything could fall apart at any moment. Not that he was going to tell Leia that right away. No need to worry her.

Later on, Han and Chewbacca had a long, private talk about the state of the ship. The wookie agreed that the ship was in terrible condition. Even if they could get the _Falcon_ up and running again (a big if), it would take more time and more supplies than they had at the moment. The Empire was still searching for them, and Han was not confident that a failed trip through hyperspace would keep them off their track forever. One never underestimated the Empire. Furthermore, that weird exit from hyperspace had not been kind to the hyperdrive and the crash had basically destroyed the backup hyperdrive. Han did not want to say it but the _Millennium Falcon_ had probably flown its last mission.

"Well, Han. How is the ship?" Princess Leia tried to mask her concern. She knew Han and Chewbacca had been talking and, from what she had heard, it had not sounded comforting.

Han took a moment to ruffle his hair. "They hyperdrive doesn't look good and the engines don't either. Chewie is working on the engines right now. It might take a bit."

Leia cocked her head. "So we are stuck here."

"Uhhh, I wouldn't go that far. There is still a good possibility that we can get the engines working." _No there isn't. Just tell her_. "Aaand…"

There was an awkward silence.

Leia smirked, "So we're stuck here."

There was another awkward pause.

"You might say that," Han finally answered.

Leia sighed heavily then tried to smile. "Well, at least the Empire won't find us."

Han looked towards the cockpit where the bright, grey-white sky peeped in. He sighed. "I hope not."


	2. Encounter at Brickfeld

**Encounter at Brickfeld**

Was it odd or was it appropriate that the crashed Millennium Falcon fit so well in this new landscape? Desolate, barren and mournful. As if it was waiting for something to revitalize it. These, Han Solo thought, were characteristics of both the Falcon and the land in which it was cradled. This planet had a sense of foreboding and a sense of vague evil. What had happened here? Was it just the brown hills and trees and the cold wind? Or was it the fact that the Millennium Falcon was doomed to be a permanent fixture of the area? Yes, the Millennium Falcon was finished. Han looked up at the burnt carcass of the ship and tried to hide his sorrow. The Old Girl had kept him safe and brought him out of many scrapes throughout the years. It had saved his life numerous times and the lives of countless others. Chewbacca not the least among them. And Princess Leia. And Luke, wherever he was.

At least he could say that the Empire didn't take her down. Or could he? Wasn't it the Empire that had forced them to flee Hoth? Wasn't it the Empire that forced them to leave the planet without the proper repairs? The more he thought about it, the more Han despised the New Order.

Chewbacca rumbled beside him. Han sighed. "Yes, it will be lonely without her. I sure plan to come back and salvage the most I can out of her when we get off this planet. Who knows? With a little work, we might be able to keep most her."

Chewbacca rumbled ever so slightly. Han knew he was whistling in the wind. Not much would be salvageable. Plus, it would cost untold amounts of credits to put her back together. Credits that he did not have.

Leia put her hand on Han's arm. Even though she didn't say anything, it helped Han ever so slightly. "Well," he said. "I suppose we had better get going."

"So long you piece of junk," he said as he raised his hand in recognition. "You were the best ship in the galaxy."

Chewbacca whimpered and growled in agreement.

"Why are we standing here? Are we waiting for something?" cut in C-3PO's voice.

The protocol droid tried to turn his body in the makeshift backpack slung over Chewbacca's shoulders. There had been no time to fix his crushed leg and no time to fix his hearing problems. Han had been adamant about leaving the Falcon as soon as possible. C-3PO would have to wait.

They had stowed as much as they could in their knapsacks and bags. Tools, rations, water, datapads, survival gear, comlinks. Han carried his gun at his hip as did Princess Leia. Chewbacca had his bowcaster at the ready despite carrying both C-3PO, the rations, the tools and most of the survival gear. Han carried the datapads, the rest of the survival gear, some water and the medical kit. Leia, despite her insistence on shouldering her weight, only carried water, extra ration packs and a few stimpacks. Each of them also carried a comlink.

"Well, let's find that road," said Han finally. And with that they left the Millennium Falcon and turned towards the direction of the road. A cold wind whipped across their faces as dark clouds began to cover the sky. A storm had come from the East and even Chewbacca shivered.

* * *

"What a night."

Olen Piner stared out the window. With a flash of lightning, the sky was illuminated and one could see the downpour of rain. With the muffling sound of water on rooftop, the inside of _The Finch_ felt cozy and snug. A warm fire crackled in the hearth and the five or six patrons, many of them wet, looked contentedly at the innkeeper.

"Yes, indeed. Quite the storm," said Piner. He let down piece of cloth covering the glass window and walked back to the bar. "Good thing you gents got here when you did. It is definitely pouring now."

The lightning flashed again as the innkeeper reached the bar and began for the seventh time to clean the same jug. One of the patrons got up and walked towards the bar. "Perfect night for an accident," he said grimly.

The innkeeper looked up at him with a face that was halfway between a blank stare and a reproach. "Now, Brown, just because it's raining doesn't mean a thing. There was nothing to connect them at all."

"Nothing?" replied the man called Brown. "Nothing? Just because they all happened at a different time of the day might not connect them but how they died does. Slashing. Bears don't do that kind of damage and not to that extent. Neither do wolves. They don't kill for fun. This thing, whatever it is, leaves them for others to find. And always people. It never kills sheep, cows, dogs or the like. Always men or hobbits and even that one dwarf on the Greenway. Those fangs or claws or whatever it has are deadly. Much more so on a dark and stormy night."

The room was quiet for a minute before the innkeeper could find the words to reply. "Well, whatever it is, it can't get inside _The Finch_ or Brickfeld for that matter. If it is real, it never goes near inns or towns."

"So far," said the gloomy Brown.

The inn was quiet again as everyone digested the conversation. The thunder rolled again as Brown sat down in a chair near the fire. The innkeeper rubbed the jug vigorously while looking vacantly at the window. Suddenly, with a crash the door of the inn flew open and the wind and the rain poured in. The innkeeper dropped the jug out of fright, and all eyes turned to the man standing in the door. The man had a white shirt and a black jacket on and was soaked to the skin. Beside him was a short, pretty woman with what once had been white pants and a white jacket on. However, now they were splattered with mud, and she too was soaked. The innkeeper sighed in relief and looked sharply at Brown. However, as the man and woman walked into the bar, a huge mass of fur could be seen towering above them. A monster of huge proportions ducked his head as he came into the inn. Everyone gasped and chairs were flipped over and many swords were unsheathed in response to this strange creature.

The man in the black jacket looked puzzled. "Is there something on my face?" he asked as he stepped towards the bar.

"Who are you," the innkeeper asked without taking his eyes off the Wookie.

"I'm Han Solo," said the man as he followed the gaze of the innkeeper. "I...Oh…don't worry about him. He's only a Wookie. That's Chewbacca."

Chewbacca rumbled quietly as he closed the door of the inn.

"That's it," said Brown rising after having fallen off his chair. "That thing. That monster. It's responsible for the murders. You creature of Sauron!" He was yelling at this point and the other patrons were readying their swords. Chewbacca growled menacingly, and Han quickly stepped between the Wookie and the patrons.

"Hey, just a minute here," he said with his arms out diplomatically. "I think there has been a misunderstanding. I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Has there been some murders? Maybe we can help."

"You've done enough," spat Brown. Many of the other patrons nodded their assent. They were beginning to circle now. The innkeeper looked distraught, but he did nothing to dissuade the men.

"Wait a minute, Brown." A voice came from the back of inn where a man had been sitting in a corner. A small, middle-aged man, shorter than Han but taller than Leia, stood up and made his way slowly to the middle of the room. He eyed Han cautiously and kept his distance from Chewbacca. He looked like a simple traveler, and his face had a look of simplicity and contentment.

"This...thing...does not quite match the description of the 'monster' you are talking about. Case in point, where are the fangs and claws. It can't rip things to shreds like your beast can. From what I see," the man squinted his eyes at the Wookie and almost smiled, "it is just a big furry animal. Like the great apes from Rhûn. It is obviously a pack animal." He motioned to the backpack holding C-3PO who, throughout this encounter, had been forced to stare at the door.

The men were somewhat mollified, but Brown kept his hardened look. Han nudged Chewbacca discreetly and whispered, "Play along."

"If it's a simple pack animal," Brown was continuing, "then what is it carrying on its back."

"Ah, excellent question, friend," replied Han with his best negotiating tone and his most charming smile. Leia tried hard to suppress a grin. "You might notice that we are not from these parts. We are travelers from distant lands. We have traveled from the far West and have only recently arrived in this part of the world. This…"

The innkeeper interrupted, "But there is nothing in the West except the sea."

Han turned towards him with a conciliatory smile. "Did I say West? I meant East."

He then walked towards C-3PO conversationally. " As I was saying, this golden statue is a symbol of one of our Eastern gods. Every traveler from our tribe must bring a statue of the sun god with them. Most only bring a small figure. However, the more illustrious bring larger statues." No one else had noticed, but Leia had seen Han quietly turn C-3PO off.

"The larger statues can only be carried by the holy beasts, the Pykryk. They are exceedingly rare and only available to the most illustrious."

Han glanced around the room to see the effect of his explanation. Most of the men looked less menacing but were still suspicious especially Brown. The innkeeper looked like he was convinced. He was staring at the Wookie in awe. Chewbacca attempted his best beast-of-burden impersonation and lowered himself into an almost ape-like position while growling in irritation at Han.

The rain had subsided a little and the inn still had a feeling of tension. Finally the innkeeper, the good Mr. Olen Piner shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid that I cannot give you and the lady a room Mr. Solo. Your animal's presence would scare away my customers and bring potential danger."

Han was about to protest when Leia put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on Han, let's find another place. The rain has stopped anyway."

Leia could see that Han had a sarcastic comment ready, but he quickly righted himself. "Of course my lady. Lead the way." And then to the patrons and the innkeeper. "It has been a pleasure, friends."

As they left the inn and came out into the dark, dank night air, the patrons all crowded in the doorway behind them. Chewbacca grunted. "No, it was not over the top," replied Han quietly with a glance over his shoulder. "These people are obviously very gullible. They don't know a thing about technology or the lands beyond their borders."

At that exact moment a bright flash flew past the head of Han Solo and he heard a grunt behind them. Han immediately threw himself to the ground dragging Leia with him. Chewbacca did the same although more awkwardly with the droid on his back. Han took out his blaster and looked around. That had been a blaster bolt. From the sounds behind him, someone had been hit, and the rest had no idea what had happened. These people knew nothing of blasters. When nothing happened for a full minute, Han slowly stood up. Nothing had happened beyond that one shot.

Han looked behind him. One of the men had been shot and was clutching his heart. He and Leia ran up to the hurt man who happened to be the innkeeper. Olen Piner gasped for air. As Han looked down he knew that he could do nothing for him. The man named Brown had been kneeling beside Olen, but he now looked up at Han and Leia. There was a vicious fire in his eyes that almost made Han step back. "You'll pay for this," he snarled. "You'll pay dearly."

He was about to rush at Han when the same man who had stood up for the newcomers in the inn intervened. His face was sad, and one could see resignation in it. "Hold, Brown. This man did nothing to Piner. He was just as surprised as the rest of us. Didn't you see that?"

"Stay out of this Fenheath," yelled Brown.

Fenheath ignored him. "Take Olen inside. Tril, get the doctor." He turned to Han and Leia, "You two had better get out of town. Even if you didn't do this, I'm afraid it would not do much good."

The man looked at them puzzled. "Besides," he said. "You appear to have brought trouble with you."

"No! Don't let them get away!" Brown was screaming at this point. He jumped at Han but the smuggler was ready for it. Han spun out of the way of Brown's grasp and kicked him to the ground.

"Let's get out of here Leia. Chewie, come on." And with that, the three of them picked up their heels and ran. No one tried to stop them. As they got to the edge of the town, Han looked back. No one had followed them, but he saw Brown and Fenheath arguing.

They ran until they reached a small group of dead-looking trees. The night was cold and the ground wet. They could hear the noises of the night along with the occasional hoots of an owl above them. The darkness out here seemed to contrast with the darkness of the town. Here, the darkness was liberating. The sweet smell of the forest lifted the soul even if the trees were barren. In the town, everything was depressing. The people, the air, the light of the fire. All of it spoke of danger, hostility and mistrust.

"Well that could have gone better," said Leia still panting.

"I would like to know how," replied Han. He was looking out between two trees at the town they had just left. No one was following at the moment but that could change. A search party could easily be formed to find them.

"Is that how you always lie?" asked Leia "Because if it is, I have no idea how you've made it this long."

"Woah!" said Han turning around. "Are you insinuating that I lie regularly?"

"Well, don't you?"

"No." Han looked hurt. "Only when I need to," he said as he turned around again. However, he quickly spun back. "And I'm not that bad a liar."

Chewbacca rumbled behind Leia.

"That has nothing to do with the situation, and you know it," Han said, looking at the Wookie in disgust. He took one last peek between the trees. "We had better get moving. They might send a search party out."

They continued their trek, following the road they had used to find the town. Han had no intention of returning to _The Falcon_ and decided on traveling the road further in the other direction. However, he was wary. The strange monster the inn patrons had been talking about was troublesome. Yet, he was confident that he, Leia and Chewbacca could handle it. As long as they found it before it found them.

They had been walking for about fifteen minutes in the dark. They had not heard any sound of pursuit so far, and Han was glad of that. Tall trees rose along the sides of the road and the land to their right sloped down to the small river. They rounded a bend in the road and came upon a fence line to their left separating the road from an empty field. And there sitting on the fence munching an apple was the man called Fenheath. A walking stick was leaned against the fence and a knapsack was hanging from a rail. He looked rather silly sitting there with his legs dangling and kicking. He had a cloak on that he did not have on in the inn and was wearing a hat that looked more like a sack of potatoes.

Han stood stock still in the middle of the road. However, his hand had immediately gone to his holster, and he was ready for anything suspicious. The man kept munching on his apple for a minute until he finally looked up. "Oh, hello," he said.

The man jumped down off the fence and strode over to them. "Here you are," he remarked as he looked them over.

"Where did you come from?" asked Han warily. "And what do you want?"

"I don't want anything," said Fenheath as he took another bit out of his apple. "And I get around. I know most of these paths like the back of my hand. I've traveled a bit and know my way around the woods."

Han looked around at the trees that surrounded them. Chewbacca looked suspicious but had his bowcaster lowered. "If you don't want anything, why are you here?"

"Oh, I don't want anything, but someone else does. He would be much obliged if you would follow me. I can take you to him."

"Who is this 'other person' and what does he want?"

"I don't know, at least not for sure," Fenheath casually shrugged.

Han glared at the man. He couldn't see any deception in his face, but that could mean nothing. "What if we don't come? What if we don't trust you? Or your friend?"

The man looked hurt. "Why wouldn't you trust me? What have I ever done to you?"

Han inwardly winced. Was this man really that simple? "You've done nothing, yet. But others haven't been so welcoming. Aren't you afraid that I'm some sort of wizard able to conjure up giant monsters?" He motioned towards Chewbacca.

Then, the man did something which caught Han off guard: he laughed. It was a pleasant thing to hear, and the sound of it brightened the dark forest. "You are no wizard, Master Solo," he said still laughing. "I know evil when I see it, and you two," he nodded at Leia smiling, "are hardly servants of The Enemy."

Han was about to blow the man off when Leia stepped up. "Han, I think we should at least meet this person he's talking about. I don't think he is trying to trick us. Besides, maybe he can help us. We are not exactly in familiar territory. We could use a friend in this place."

Han looked exasperated. "But what if it's a trap?"

"Sometimes you have to take chances," replied Leia. "You should know that better than anyone. It's not like we have anything to lose. We _are_ stuck here."

Han frowned and looked at Chewbacca. "What do you think," he asked. The Wookie grumbled and even those not familiar with Shyriiwook could tell he was agreeing with Leia.

"Oh, alright," said Han. "We will meet this friend of yours….Um…"

"Fenheath," volunteered the man. "Walden Fenheath."

"Right...Fenheath. Just remember that if I even so much as sense a trap, I'll put a blaster bolt in your belly."

Fenheath just stared at him. "Blaster bolt?" he asked puzzled.

Han sighed. He took out his blaster and aimed at the nearest tree. An instant later a red bolt hit it, and splinters flew everywhere. Fenheath was duly impressed.

Han holstered his blaster. "Just remember that I can shoot quite good, and you will be on the business end if you betray us."

"Betray you?" Fenheath looked seriously concerned. "That's only what evil beings do."

Han rolled his eyes. "Just tell us where this friend of yours is."

Fenheath brightened up again "Oh, he's somewhere around here. Just follow me." He took the last bite of his apple he had been holding throughout this conversation and threw it across the fence and into the field. He waited until it landed and then motioned for them to follow. He climbed over the fence and set off across the field followed by Han, Leia and Chewbacca. No sound was heard as they marched. The darkness enveloped them, and they passed swiftly and quietly across the field and into the forest beyond.


	3. Revelation

**Revelation**

That was not supposed to happen. Crash landing on an unknown planet was not in the plan. But then again, not much was. To be fair, he had been in much worse situations. It was just that his ship was smashed to pieces. When he had been jerked out of hyperspace he had half expected to see an Imperial Interdictor Cruiser waiting for him. Instead, he found himself plummeting towards this planet. Which did not show on any of the maps. He just hoped that there was civilization on this piece of rock. Then he saw it. Smoke, coming from the west! There might be someone on this planet after all.

It was a small camp of about twenty people. It was mostly women and children, but he could see a few men here and there. What caught his eye though was a hunk of metal that was being dragged into the camp by two men. He needed a better look.

The people gasped as he strode into the camp. He did cut an imposing, if not terrifying, figure. The women and children cowered from him and the men carefully circled him with swords drawn as he walked up confidently to the large piece of metal. It was definitely a hyperdrive. A completely destroyed hyperdrive. As he was kneeling to look closer at it, a tall man walked up to him with his sword drawn but pointed at the ground. To his surprise, the man spoke Basic. "Who are you? And what do you want?"

He took one last glance at the hyperdrive and stood up. He was sure now. That hyperdrive was a 0.5. Very rare and only a few ships had them. He looked at the man. "Where did you find this?"

The man almost took a step back at the sound of his gravelly voice but was able to compose himself. "Over that ridge about two miles."

"Take me to it."

The man stared at him for a minute with a suspicious glare. "Who are you? Why should we?"

He cocked his head ever so slightly and said, in a menacing voice, "Because I said so."

The man took a step back this time and raised his sword. The other men came closer. The tall man spoke again. "We are going to do nothing until you identify yourself as a servant of Evil or not."

He smiled even though they could not see it. "It all depends on who pays better."

He flicked his wrist in the tall man's face. A spout of fire came out and engulfed the man as he staggered back with a yell. The flame-thrower arced to the right and caught two more swordsmen as a leg caught another in the stomach. He ducked as a sword went over him, and he threw the swordsman to the ground. Then, whipping out his blaster, he fired at point-blank range at another. The final two backed away as Boba Fett stood up.

Han Solo was here with his 0.5 hyperdrive. He would find the smuggler and a way off this planet. His father had taken on Jedi and survived. He had taken on the likes of Darth Vader and survived. He could take on a seemingly uncivilized planet and survive. He raised his blaster at the two remaining swordsmen. Solo had better watch his back. Nothing and nobody was going to save him.

* * *

"So…..this is the guy?"

Han Solo gave Fenheath a look that was part disbelief and part fed-up. "This old man, this tramp, is the person who wants us? Let me guess, he wants us to give him a hand-out?"

Fenheath shook his head. "No, he wouldn't need a hand-out. But he does want to talk with you."

Han looked at Chewbacca, "Well, let's get this over with." He added sarcastically as he made his way to the old man, "The suspense is killing me."

The old man was sitting on a log smoking a pipe. He was dressed in old grey clothes and had a pointed hat on his head. A tall staff lay to one side as he glanced up at the newcomers.

"Ah," he stood up slowly. "I see you found them Fenheath. Very good, very good indeed." The old man looked at Chewbacca obviously impressed.

"My name is Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey," he said, shaking his pipe clean of whatever it was he had been smoking. The morning air combined with the scent of the smoke made for a pleasant smell. "I don't believe we've met."

"Uh, no, I don't believe we have." Han tried his best to be diplomatic.

"It appears your vessel crashed and you are stranded here. I would propose…"

"What a minute," Han interjected. "How do you know about that? We crashed yesterday. Does the whole planet know we are here?"

Gandalf smiled. "Oh, no. I had a friend who was in the general vicinity. He told me he saw a few comet-looking objects fall from the sky."

"Yesterday," Han reiterated.

"You are in a new land. Those of us who live here know it well. Some extremely well."

Han shrugged. "Okay, but how about knowing they weren't just comets?"

"That is a different story altogether. There has been a prophecy among the Wise that recounts how a group of people, falling from the sky will bring destruction on Middle-Earth and potential salvation. The Lady Galadriel sees much, and our eyes are not blind. They say the newcomers will bring a terrible power with them. That particular part is mere rumor but it is always best to be safe than sorry."

"And you are part of the Wise?" Han asked, trying to hide the sarcasm.

Gandalf smiled. "Some say yes. Others say no. I'm merely accounted one because I'm a wizard."

"And we are the newcomers that will bring destruction?" Han sounded unconvinced. "I mean, it's nice to be mentioned in a prophecy and all but I don't think we have anything that will destroy worlds."

At this point, Leia spoke up. "You said there were comets, in the plural. What about the other ones?"

Gandalf smiled wryly. "This is where times comes in as you mentioned," he said motioning to Han. "It was just yesterday, and only one person saw them. He didn't have time."

There was a pause. Finally Han spoke up. "How did you know we were the ones from the 'comets'?"

Fenheath grinned. "Let's just say you don't exactly look like you're from Middle-Earth. Chewbacca definitely isn't."

The Wookie rumbled. Han rolled his eyes. "Okay, that was easy. But, now that you know we can destroy you all, what are you going to do with us?"

"We are going to investigate the other comets, "Gandalf replied. "You obviously don't intend to harm anyone."

"Thanks for the recommendation," Han replied. "We are probably the salvation or whatever it is you said."

Gandalf smiled as he hit his pipe against the log. "You never know. By the way, I never got your name."

"The name's Solo, Han Solo. This is Chewbacca, Threepio and Leia. By the way, if you don't mind me asking, how exactly can we trust you?"

Gandalf picked up his staff. "You already do, don't you?"

Han was silent for a minute. "Yeah, we kind of don't have any choice."

 **It's been a while. It's been busy starting college and all. Nevertheless, a small chapter will join the others. I would appreciate feedback as to the writing style. Things you like about it, things you don't. I also wouldn't mind speculation as to where the story is going. I'm still in the early stages, and everything is swirling in my head. Who knows, maybe I will incorporate speculations that I find intriguing. I can't promise anything though. It might be a while until the next chapter or it might be quite soon. Time and tide wait for no man.**


	4. Snuffling Insight

**Snuffling Insight**

"I don't mean to complain, but the last time we entered one your towns we were basically thrown out. I think they disapproved of Chewie."

"I'm afraid the people around here are rather distrusting, Han," replied Gandalf as they walked along a well-trodden trail. "This area is close to the Ettenmoors. Thankfully, most of the evils of that place don't surface here often, but every once in a while an orc party will come down from the hills or wolves will get hungry and ravage a few farms. One just has to be cautious."

Fenheath pipped up. "There have been a few recent events that have made many wary. You just happened to appear at a bad moment."

Han smirked, "Let's hope I don't make that a habit."

The wind was chilly as they walked along. Thankfully they had all come from Hoth and were bundled up for the weather. Gandalf seemed perfectly at ease in his grey robes. His silver scarf whipped around his neck as he held his pointed hat against the wind. It was late morning and everyone was hungry. Chewbacca rumbled.

Han nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I was kinda thinking that too, Chewie. Where are we going exactly?"

"I'm going to introduce you to some friends of mine. Some call them rangers. They have been keeping watch around this area for a long time. I have much to look after, but they will help you and your situation. You won't find them living in a palace but they are loyal friends to have."

"Don't worry," said Leia. "We weren't expecting Naboo-style furnishings. But how will they help us?"

"A way will be found. When you fall from the sky, help can come in interesting ways."

They deviated from the path at this point as Fenheath led them through the brush and lifeless trees of the countryside. Han tried to ask the Wizard how long it would be until they arrived, but Gandalf either would not say or truly didn't know. That evening they came upon a town that stood out in the bleak landscape like a sore thumb. At least Han thought so, but he was in no mood to be charitable.

"This is Old Newstock," explained Fenheath. "So named because it used to be a grazing place for cows. It eventually became a village, and now it is one of the bigger towns in the area. As big as towns get north of the Weather Hills. Some compare it to Bree but it doesn't have the same reputation."

Han smiled condescendingly but said nothing. He wished Fenheath would go jump in a river and they would be rid of his untiring optimism. Leia patted Han on the shoulder firmly indicating he should cut the snide looks and sarcastic comments. He smiled at her more genuinely but, again, said nothing.

Old Newstock was your stereotypical backwards town as far as Han could tell. However, Leia, with her experience as a diplomat who interacted with various cultures, could tell that Old Newstock was the center of activity for miles around if not further. It wasn't a big town but there probably was not a great deal of people living in these parts. What it did have was a wall surrounding it even if it was falling apart in places. Small villages usually did not have such a luxury. As they came closer to the gate, a lamplighter could be seen lighting the few aged lamps that stood like pointed fingers amidst the squat buildings. He started to wave as soon as he saw Fenheath come through the gate, frowned when Gandalf entered, and nearly fell off his ladder when Chewbacca strode through. The Wookie rumbled as people gasped and ran inside their houses as they passed. A few gripped swords but did not came close. Fenheath led them to the inn. _The Golden Hive_ was a much nicer tavern than _The Finch_ at Brickfeld was. It looked like quite a bit of money passed through this place of business. Han was impressed but hardly intimidated. The tavern-goers blanched as Chewbacca entered the large open room, and Han smirked. People usually had that reaction to Wookies, but these people on this planet had obviously never seen anything like Chewbacca. Gandalf stepped out from behind the Wookie, leaned on his staff, and smiled.

"Ah, Jacks. How is business," he inquired. The bartender, a sturdy man of about forty, squinted his eyes at the old man.

"It appears the Grey Wanderer has returned. With a trophy." He gave the Wookie a long glance. He was obviously shaken by its appearance but was quite good at hiding it. "What is this thing? Did you find it in the Trollshaws?"

Before Gandalf could answer Han came up beside the Wizard. "He's mine actually. Don't worry about him. He's tame. At least tame enough to not hurt anyone who doesn't hurt him. He's part of a species from the Far East. Great hunters."

Gandalf went from a tired traveler to a tired old man. He looked at Han out of the corner of his eye and gave him an exasperated stare. "Yes," he said slowly. "All we need are a few rooms for the night. I hope you can oblige us."

The bartender contemplated this for a few minutes. Finally, he nodded his head. "I think we can find room for all of you. He glanced up at Chewbacca. "Most of you."

* * *

Snuffling. And more snuffling. Dirt smelt the same most of the time. Other smells didn't mix with it. They just stood out. There was always the dirt smell, and he had begun to hate it.

"Narsock, over here!" He turned his nose up from the ground and sniffed the air. Something. Something strange. His eyes glinted with curiosity and fear. "Narsock!" Blasted frumbler. All of the big lads were so loud. They had no inkling how much noise they made.

"Get over here snuffler!" Narsock shuffled over to the warrrior and snarled.

"Quiet you big oaf. Something's wrong."

"Of course there is something wrong," the big one practically yelled. Not that any of the West-men could hear a lick. "There's a man out there."

"A man? Narsock whispered. "I don't smell him. How do you know?"

The big orc sneered, "I saw him, snuffler. I don't have to stick my head in the ground to scout."

"Quiet, I tell you! He could hear us." Narsock was sniffing the air. There was definitely something out there. Now he could tell that there was a West-man. But also something else…

"Hear us? Fat lot he can hear. He's dead."

Dead? Then what was that he smelled? It smelt like fire but in a weird oily smell.

"Come on snuffler, let's go see." The big orc lumbered off towards the body. Narsock followed slowly, hoping Grinn would come back soon. Othgark always had a bit of respect for the archer ever since Grinn killed two of the big lads without a weapon. Even Yelcknach would be a welcome change. But when they split up he had to go with Othgark. He gritted his teeth. The large orc was now looking at the body. The man looked like he had been torn apart by claws but Narsock could see he had died of some sort of burn. A deep burn in the chest.

"Probably a bear or wolf," said Othgark has he looked up at the dark sky. Narsock put his nose to the ground and sniffed around the body. That smell was strong here. It exuded a sort of blackness that he had only felt the time the Terror came to Mount Gram. He tried to block his memory of that incident. He scanned the area. He could see the man had set up camp here. A tent stood carefully concealed within some bushes. The remains of a fire lay nearby. Othgark had already wandered over to it and kicked it like an idiot. Narsock quickly ran over to see how long it had been since it was burning. If he had to guess it had been in the early morning hours. Right as the sun rose. Right before the darkest part of the night. Othgark was rummaging through the tent now. He came out with a well-made knife, a few pans, some clothes, and a sword. He threw a bag down in between them that seemed to hold some rations.

"He's been here for a while it appears," Othgark remarked. He was eating some food that he must have found in the tent. He slashed the tent down with his sword. "Probably one of those sneaky rangers. They've been sneaking around more since those rocks began to fall. They need gutting." He grinned evilly as he handled his serrated blade. Narsock sniffed the air once again casually. However, this time he stiffened. He sniffed again. He snarled as he stepped back.

"There's another one. He's out there. He's coming. Hide!" The two orcs scrambled into some bushes as quick as they could. Othgark had his knee in Narsock's side but the smaller orc dared not move. He had been trained for stealth as had Othgark (although to a lesser degree). Yet these rangers were uncannily sneaky and could come upon an orc party unawares and kill them all. The best thing to do was watch first. It didn't take long for the ranger to appear. He came out into the clearing slowly fingering his bow. Narsock practically stopped breathing. He could feel Othgark twitch slightly beside him. The ranger looked at the ripped tent and the body of the other ranger. He knelt down beside the body and stared at it. But then he went rigid. In a flash he turned around, drew an arrow and fired his bow up into the trees behind him. There was a grunt, and a body came tumbling down from a branch. As this happened Othgark was sprinting toward the ranger with his knife out. Narsock paused and then followed. The larger orc threw himself at the ranger and barreled into him. There was a grunt as the man felt the weight of Othgark slam into him. But the ranger was quick. He was out of the orc's grasp and kicking at Othgark's face. He missed but hit the shoulder. Othgark punched the man in the face, and the ranger fell back with a broken nose. Narsock ran past at this point and attempted to cut the man's legs out from under him with his short-sword. His sword hit the ground instead and Narsock tumbled to the side. But this gave Othgark his chance, and he drove his dagger hard as the man gasped and fell.

Narsock stood up dazed and looked at the outcome. Othgark had finished the ranger and had done more than was necessary to accomplish that. Narsock's efficient mind was constantly irritated at the larger orc's ways of killing but he never complained. Othgark always did the job. Narsock quickly made it to the body that had fallen from the tree. It was Yelcknach, and he was dead.

"Yelcknach got it," he said. Othgark made his way over. He glanced at the body and then kicked hard at the dead orc.

"Finally. The ranger saved me the trouble. The freak was a bolter."

Narsock nodded in agreement. "We had better get out of here though. There could be more. Grinn! Come on, Yelcknach is dead."

A minute later Grinn appeared through the bushes. Narsock winced at how ugly the orc appeared, but he was slowly getting used to it. The archer came up to them hissing. "There's one more," he said in that unnerving voice. "Somewhere. We almost had him."

Narsock sniffed again and he stiffened again. At that moment he heard the whizz of an arrow and Othgark yelled as it hit his leg. Grinn let fly an answering arrow, and Narsock heard the satisfying grunt as it hit home. Yet, as he turned around he could see a ranger fall but another one loomed behind him. At this point, however, the remaining ranger yelped as he clutched his throat. There was a blur behind the man but Narsock could see nothing. The ranger was struggling against some unseen enemy as he whipped around. The orcs just stood there in awe. The ranger seemed to get a hold of something and threw it to the side. There was a 'clump' as something hit a tree and Narsock could see fur as the invisible being quickly got up. But he didn't wait. "Rangers and invisible fur means run," he yelled to his comrades. The orcs beat a path through the bushes and the last Narsock saw of the conflict was blood coming from the ranger as he still grappled with the unseen menace. Narsock guessed that the doom was the ranger's.


	5. Nightly Incursions

**Nightly Incursions**

"If this is your idea of a joke?"

"Joke, Mr. Solo? I don't know what you mean?"

"You know what I mean! Chewie isn't some animal to be shunted off to the side."

Jacks scratched his head. "I thought you said he was your...pack animal."

Han glared at him. "When did I say that?"

Gandalf coughed. "I believe you said that he was a tame species from the far east."

Han folded his arms. "And your point?"

"Oh be reasonable. It was quite obvious that you meant your friend to be a pack animal. It is only right that Jacks inferred Chewbacca needed the stable."

Chewbacca rumbled, and Han leaned forward. "Oh, and while we're at it, make sure Chewie gets plenty of food, rub him down, and CHAIN HIM UP! Or we could just leave this town and this idiot stable boy behind and get off this kriffing planet. Come on Chewie, let's get out of here."

Han stormed past the Wizard and innkeeper with Chewbacca behind him grumbling. Leia looked slightly embarrassed while Fenheath looked shocked.

"Is he always like that?" he asked the Princess.

"Only when he is mad. And I suppose whenever he is stranded on a planet he doesn't know about. You can't blame him too much. Being defeated by the Empire, crash landing, and totaling your ship will make anyone bitter."

"I suppose," replied Fenheath. "He has been rather...upset since I met him."

Gandalf sighed behind them. "Well, just because he wants to be impatient doesn't mean we have to be. I don't think he'll wander far. I'll take a room Jacks. And another for the lady."

Jacks nodded trying to put a half smile on but failing miserably. "You can have room 5 Gandalf. The lady can have room 15 upstairs." He glanced at Fenheath. "You sir?"

Fenheath shook his head. "Oh, I don't do beds. I never wake up from them. If you don't mind I'll just sleep under that table right there."

Jacks just stared at him and glanced to Gandalf. The wizard gave him a nod of approval and pushed a few extra coins across the counter. Jacks shrugged and took the coins. "Alright mister. You got that table."

* * *

Han stomped through the trees. He could hear Chewbacca's huge frame behind him and felt the Wookie's furry hand on his shoulder. Han stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry Chewie. I should have tried to reason with the man. But all this is heady."

He slide to ground, his back against a huge pine tree. Chewbacca rumbled.

"No, it isn't the Falcon." Han replied.

There was a silence. The Wookie gave Han a stare that exhibited complete disbelief. Han looked up at him but quickly looked away.

"Okay, maybe that's a little bit of it. I just can't get that picture of her crashed out of my mind."

Chewbacca growled again, this time with a touch of sympathy in his voice.

"Me too, Chewie. That ship was more than a ship. That was our life before...that stupid Rebellion. I should never have talked to that crazy old space monk in the first place."

Again, the Wookie rumbled.

"Never meet Leia? Well….Um….I don't know."

Chewbacca sighed a throaty, Wookie sigh and heaved his massive body down. He slung the body of C-3PO down next to him and started to tinker with the deactivated droid. C-3PO's body was the main issue. The droid could still function but couldn't really move much. Chewbacca frowned and took out some tools that he always carried. He looked up at Han sitting with his back against the tree. His friend's head had slumped down, and the Wookie could hear snoring sounds. Even though he was tired himself, he decided to let Han sleep first. He would wake him up later to take his turn watching. One could never be too careful in a strange land.

* * *

Han awoke with a start. Groggy-eyed he looked around. There was no sign of Chewbacca although the body of C-3PO lay propped next to a tree. Han rubbed his eyes and took a better look around. It was still dark although Han could see that dawn would come soon. He wandered over to C-3PO and casually looked over the droid. Chewie must have been working on him because he did look better. Han patted the droid's back absentmindedly. Much to his dismay, the droid shook and the yellow eyes of the protocol droid flashed to life.

"Oh, my. Where am I? Oh, Captain Solo, so happy to see you. Is everything alright?"

Han rolled his eyes and turned his back to the droid. "Chewie," he yelled. "Where are you, you big oaf."

He stood there a minute until he could hear the rustling sounds of footsteps on the fallen, autumn leaves. He turned around and was about to say something when he stopped. His eyes widened, for there before him, was the barrel of a carbine rifle. And behind that, one of the most feared men in the galaxy: Boba Fett.

"Ah! Who is that?" came the voice of C-3PO.

Han held his hands up slightly and stared at the bounty hunter.

The hard voice of the bounty hunter rang out. "Solo. It was a merry chase."

There was a pause. Finally, Han spoke up. "And your name is…"

Han couldn't tell what was going on under the helmet, but Fett did not seem to register the comment much to Han's chagrin.

"You do know you have two bounties on your head. One from the Empire and one from Jabba."

"It's good to know people care about me," retorted Han.

"I was told to bring you in alive. Unfortunately, it appears both of our ships did not survive the crash. I might have to rethink my ban on disintegrations."

Han was about to respond when he noticed a blur behind Fett. The bounty Hunter noticed Han's shift and quickly turned around to see a Wookie barreling towards him. Fett raised his carbine, but Han was too quick. He lashed out with his leg and kicked the bounty hunter's left leg out from under him. But Boba Fett was not the best of his generation for nothing. Instead of completely falling to the ground he took a knee and was able to swing his carbine in the face of the smuggler knocking him flat. But that did not slow Chewbacca. The entire force and weight of the Wookie slammed into Fett, and they both went down. Of course, anyone who has a Wookie on top of them probably never gets back up. But Boba Fett had armour on that protected him long enough to kick his jetpack on. The bounty hunter went flying, back to the ground with the Wookie holding on his legs. Fett got his hand free and flicked his flame thrower on. Thankfully, for Chewbacca, the jetpack, along with his grasp on Fett, made the fire explode slightly to the left of where the bounty hunter was aiming. Chewbacca got scorched but the projector was not aimed at his face. Boba Fett kicked to the side and the Wookie lost his grip. The bounty hunter did a barrel roll and landed on his feet, carbine aimed at Chewbacca. But as he did so, he heard the click of a blaster. Han Solo stood next to him with a gun aimed at his head.

"Drop it," commanded the smuggler.

Boba Fett stood still, carbine still in his hands and aimed at Chewbacca. He could feel Han tense up.

"I'll drop it alright. After I shoot your Wookie friend. If you pull that trigger, I pull mine."

Silence followed. Chewbacca was standing putting out the fire on his arm, growling at the bounty hunter. Han just now noticed that the darkness was fading away slowly. Sunrise was not far away. But that wouldn't help him in this situation. He was about to say something when he saw the faint outline of a man coming through the trees. Apparently Boba Fett saw him too and swiveled his helmet ever so slightly in that direction. As the man came closer, they could see that he was clapping.

"Bravo. Oh, bravo. Such an excellent performance. Really, it's too much. I don't suppose you could take a break for a minute though? I need to speak with you about fund allocation. Actually, I will do most of the speaking. You will do most of the funding. If you two could line up against that tree right there and get your cow...dog...thing to calm down I'm sure we can make this a pleasant enough process."

Without moving his blaster from Fett's head, Han frowned. "And who on this kriffing planet are you?"

The man looked shocked. "You haven't heard of me? Well, I am surprised. I am the Lord of the Lone Lands, Baron of Brigands, Earl of Eriador, Chieftan of….Well, I can't think of one for that. But evil fears me, women swoon over me, kids adore me, and no one can touch me. I own this land and all in it. Which means I take what I want, when I want. You may not fear me now, but you will if you cross me."

Han smirked. "And, who are you again?"

The man smiled. "They call me Ithwine, Robber Baron of the North. Although some have been known to call me Ithwine the Irresistible." He flashed a smile. "And I have at least twenty archers in the trees waiting for my signal to cut you down. So let's be reasonable and make this as bloodless as possible. I try my best to be chivalrous. Indeed, if there was a lady under that armour I just might leave you two without a word."

"I'm afraid you are going to be sorely disappointed," came the bounty hunter's harsh voice.

"Ah well. You can't win them all. Please gentleman. Line up against the tree there."

Han looked around and saw that there was movement amongst the trees. Ithwine didn't seem to bluffing. He decided that as long as the robbers were just going to rob them without killing them, this would be a good way to get the bounty hunter off his back. At least it would make him drop his carbine. So Han slowly lowered his gun to the ground and stepped towards the tree. After a few moments, Boba Fett did the same and back up towards the tree. But before, the man who called himself Ithwine could speak, a thud was heard and a man dropped from the tree above them. More thuds could be heard as men yelled out. Han felt a thud to the back of his head. He yelled in pain as he toppled forward. The last thing that he noticed as he slipped into unconsciousness was Ithwine yelling orders and small, misshapen monsters running up from behind the trees.


End file.
